3 Players the Orlando Magic could look for to fill their final two-way spots
The Orlando Magic quickly and quietly completed their roster with the mid-July signing of Cory Joseph.
The last hopes to bring back Markelle Fultz on a minimum deal were dashed. The team added Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and drafted Tristan da Silva, but largely kept their roster fully intact. According to ESPN.com, the Magic have the second-most continuity on their roster of any team in the league.
The only major losses for the team were Markelle Fultz and Joe Ingles from last year's roster. Replacing them might be more difficult than anyone thinks.
Other than that, the team let go of two of its two two-way players.
Admiral Schofield aged out of the two-way contract having played his fourth year in the NBA. He agreed to play for ASVEL in France. Kevon Harris signed a camp deal with the LA Clippers as he enters his final year of two-way eligibility.
Both players were valuable for the Magic for the energy they brought from the bench. But it leaves two roster spots open for the Magic to fill before training camp.
Granted, the Magic probably already have some idea who they want to use their two-way contracts on. They have likely already agreed to many of their Exhibit 10 camp invites before training camp begins on Oct. 1. And the Osceola Magic still have to put their roster together (working through the Orlando Magic's training camp to bolster that group).
But as far as roster intrigue goes, this is the last piece of the puzzle for the team to solve before practice begins.
The Magic have a type too when they look at their two-way players. They tend to go for more veteran G-League players who can support the main roster with their defense and attitude—Schofield, for instance, rarely played with the Magic last year but also spent zero time in the G-League. They look for veterans who provide a cultural fit and break-glass-in-case-of-emergency support.
Trevelin Queen, the Magic's current lone two-way player, is a great example of this.
Queen was a former G-League MVP who dominated the G-League with his scoring, even averaging 24.4 points per game and 7.8 rebounds per game last year. But in his 14 games with the Orlando Magic, he proved to be an energetic and willing defender. His contributions during the January injury spell were critical for the team's success.
It should be noted too that this is the last year Queen is eligible for a two-way contract. So he has a lot on the line when he gets his opportunity.
The Magic do not use the two-way contract as a pure development project. They do not use it to take a chance on young players. They look for more established players who fit their defensive mentality like Queen, Harris and Schofield did last year.
It is a wide net to figure out who fills these G-League spots. But who is still left on the board that fits the Magic's desires? It might be time to explore.